Gospel Truth #9
“The Bible so clearly teaches that righteousness is by faith. Therefore the only element that God's people need in order to prepare for the second coming of Christ is genuine faith. The message the world needs to hear is the truth of righteousness by faith in the light of the cleansing of the sanctuary—"the third angel's message in verity." Faith is understood in its true biblical sense—a heart appreciation of the agape of Christ.” Robert J. Wieland
What the Bible Teaches - Truth #9
a) "We through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" (Galatians 5:6).
b) "By grace are ye saved through faith." It's "with the heart" that we believe (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:10).
c) God's people in the end of time will be noted for having such faith (Revelation 14:12).
d) Such faith is an experience that constantly grows and develops (Romans 1:16, 17).
e) The constant prayer of those who have faith is, "Help Thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:23, 24).
f) Saving faith is so closely related to agape that it is a response to it (John 3:16; Ephesians 6:23; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Philemon 5).
g) Agape is "shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit," brought from heaven vertically; immediately it flows out horizontally to our fellow men. What flows back to God is faith (Romans 5:5; Colossians 1:4).
h) Translation at the coming of Christ will be the final experience of mature faith (Hebrews 11:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).
i) How can we understand "righteousness by faith" unless we understand what "faith" is?
A.T. Jones Believed and Taught that . . .
"Faith is 'the gift of God' (Ephesians 2:8); and that it is given to everybody is plainly stated in the Scriptures: 'God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith' (Romans 12:3). This measure of faith which 'God hath dealt to every man' is the capital with which God endows and starts 'every man that cometh into the world;' and every man is expected to trade upon this capital—cultivate it—to the salvation of his soul.
"There is no danger of ever lessening this capital when it is used: as certainly as it is used at all, it will increase, it will grow exceedingly. And as certainly as it grows, the righteousness, the peace, the joy, of the Lord, are assured to the full salvation of the soul" (Lessons on Faith, pp. 21, 22).
Unbelief Frustrates the Grace of God
"Can every believer have grace enough to keep him free from sinning? —Yes. Indeed, everybody in the world can have enough to keep him from sinning. Enough is given; and it is given for this purpose. If any one does not have it, it is not because enough has not been given. . . .
"It is given also ‘for the perfecting of the saints.' The object of it is to bring each one to perfection in Christ Jesus—to the perfection too, that is fully up to God's standard; for it is given for the building up of the body of Christ, 'till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.' . . .